A Tale of Trust and Betrayal: Jokowi’s Anti-corruption Brand Creation and Transgression

Abstract

Studies proposed that the meteoric rise of Joko Widodo was because of his strong image as the new hope of the people in combating Indonesia’s most persistent problem: corruption. During his rise, Widodo’s compliances to the policies of the Komisi Pemberantasan Korupsi (KPK, Corruption Eradication Commission) and his promises to empower the institution served as evidence of his genuine commitment to eliminate corruption. In 2019, soon after winning a second presidential term, Joko Widodo approved a KPK law amendment that significantly weakened the institution and contradicted his promises. This chapter analyses Jokowi’s personal brand image, identity and brand transgression, from his alignment with KPK to enhance his anti-corruption persona, to his ‘betrayal’ to his core brand value.